Transient lattice contraction in the solid-to-plasma transition

By Ken R. Ferguson, Maximilian Bucher, Tais Gorkhover, Sébastien Boutet, Hironobu Fukuzawa, Jason E. Koglin, Yoshiaki Kumagai, Alberto Lutman, Agostino Marinelli, Marc Messerschmidt1, Kiyonobu Nagaya, Jim Turner, Kiyoshi Ueda, Garth J. Williams, Philip H. Bucksbaum, Christoph Bostedt

1. Arizona State University

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Type

journal-article

Author

Ken R. Ferguson and Maximilian Bucher and Tais Gorkhover and Sébastien Boutet and Hironobu Fukuzawa and Jason E. Koglin and Yoshiaki Kumagai and Alberto Lutman and Agostino Marinelli and Marc Messerschmidt and Kiyonobu Nagaya and Jim Turner and Kiyoshi Ueda and Garth J. Williams and Philip H. Bucksbaum and Christoph Bostedt

Citation

Ferguson, K.R. et al., 2016. Transient lattice contraction in the solid-to-plasma transition. Science Advances, 2(1), pp.e1500837–e1500837. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1500837.

Abstract

In condensed matter systems, strong optical excitations can induce phonon-driven processes that alter their mechanical properties. We report on a new phenomenon where a massive electronic excitation induces a collective change in the bond character that leads to transient lattice contraction. Single large van der Waals clusters were isochorically heated to a nanoplasma state with an intense 10-fs x-ray (pump) pulse. The structural evolution of the nanoplasma was probed with a second intense x-ray (probe) pulse, showing systematic contraction stemming from electron delocalization during the solid-to-plasma transition. These findings are relevant for any material in extreme conditions ranging from the time evolution of warm or hot dense matter to ultrafast imaging with intense x-ray pulses or, more generally, any situation that involves a condensed matter-to-plasma transition.

DOI

Funding

NSF-STC Biology with X-ray Lasers (NSF-1231306)